


Riding Out the Storm

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Series: Drabbles Gone Rogue [8]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Ladynoir July, Partner Dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 02:39:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12355755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: When it fell, it came suddenly and without warning.  Neither of them were prepared.  Then again, neither of them realized they had to be.But they had pulled themselves through plenty of scrapes.Together, they could weather this too.





	1. Ride or Die

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted as chapters 8, 25, and 44 of The Night Patrol as part of the LadyNoirJuly2017 Challenge, the Day 8: Ride or Die prompt, the Day 25: Sober prompt, the Day 29: Early Hours prompt, and the yet to be posted Day 31: Daybreak prompt. All are now collected here for reading convenience per reader request. Original chapter breaks have also been retained by request.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Ride or Die

The clouds covered the moon, silver light dusting the edges of the clouds as they’d hovered past. The humidity was high and the scent of fresh fallen rain permeated the air, leaving the grips on the rooftops more slick, requiring more care.

Ladybug had no idea that this night would be unlike any other.

Not until her partner had landed heavily upon the roof of Notre Dame, grasping the arches with his claws.

Chat Noir reached out to her, looking lost and more than a little alone. His green eyes were wide, haunted.

That surprised her.

She hadn’t expected to see her partner look quite so broken. Her brows wrinkled, clear even behind her bright red mask. “Chat Noir?”

* * *

His hand drew back, shaking and unsure. His head bent down, eyes scanning the sky for some sort of answer to his clear predicament. He had come to join the penitent, celebrating vespers in the church below.

“I’m sorry, Ladybug.” His voice cracked, tail drooping lifelessly. 

He met her eyes, expecting steely blue...not the compelling bright blue that glimmered by the light of the moon.

He wanted to tell her. He had to tell her, in fact. But it would leave everything all wrong.

She’d leapt across the arches, looking down at his pitiful form. Offering her hand to him in ignorance of how bad that this was all going to get. “What on earth is wrong?”

He winced. No matter how much he wanted to protect her--from everything he could--this was one secret he couldn’t keep. Ladybug wouldn’t forgive him. 

He bit his lip. She might not forgive him anyways.

“Chaton.” Her hand squeezed his shoulder, encouraging and urging him onward.

He inhaled, desperate to steady himself. “I know who he is.”

Her wide blue eyes darkened with fear for only a second, before the blue turned to steel. “You mean…?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Him.” 

Her eyes narrowed, silently focusing out onto the night for a few tense moments, before she turned her gaze back to him. “How did you figure it out?”

His shoulders slumped slightly. “You don’t want to know.”

“Chat.” Ladybug’s nose wrinkled, her voice softer. “I’m asking because I do.”

His glowing green eyes locked with hers. “You don’t want to know who I am.”

* * *

She was floored. Never, in all this time that Tikki had assured her that the secrecy was absolutely necessary, had she considered a scenario like this. “Well. You’re right, of course...but--”

He grabbed her hand, green eyes flashing wide, dark slitted pupils wide. His head shook. “But I can’t tell you how I found out who he was without revealing who I am.”

She was only silent for a few seconds, considering the impossibility of this situation.

* * *

He didn’t dare look at her face.

He didn’t dare to hope, until he felt her hand pressed to his cheek. Her voice was warm, her tone soft. “Chaton.” 

His eyes crept open, locking with the gleam of light in hers. His gaze darted to her playful grin. Her fingers trembled, betraying the little bit of anxiety she so clearly shared. 

“I think I need to know.”

Chat Noir held his breath, nodding. The weight of his burden substantially lessened as she grabbed an equal half onto her own shoulders.

This was new territory for them both, but they could weather it together. 

Ladybug trusted him at least that much. He would trust her in every way he could. No one else but his amazing partner was as capable or as caring. There was no one else he would rather have at his side, working to once and for all correct all the chaos his father had caused.


	2. Sober

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Sober

Chat Noir ran aimlessly into the night, desperate to clear his head.

Being Chat Noir had been such an amazing freedom. And he had been happy, too. So innocently happy in his ignorance. Scrambling across the rooftops, bantering with his lovely partner, the weight of the world had been heavy, but he had been more than happy to share that burden with her.

There were times where it would be nice to just lose himself. Running the rooftops was usually enough to do it. Barring that, the thrill of the fight would do it, mentally and physically draining himself while he did his utmost best to protect her.

But that was before he knew just who he was protecting her from.

He kept looping near enough to his house to spot his own window, mulling whether or not it would be worth it to head inside. Whether it was worth it to find some other, less productive way to drown out the growing tide of doubts and fears.

It wasn’t like it was impossible. He knew where the kitchen staff had locked away the bottles of wine into the cellars. 

He had to sneak down to the kitchens often enough to snag Camembert to see the staff sharing a bottle of wine after meals were prepared to know where they had the keys hidden away.

The first night he had been spotted on one of his furtive kitchen runs, they had gaped, fear clear in their eyes. He had just just smiled, grabbed the chunk of cheese for Plagg, and with a polite “goodnight” he turned on his heel and darted back up the stairs.

It had actually been kind of nice to see that someone in this mansion was happy. He wasn’t so sure he would really ever see that again inside his own home.

When it was clear that he had never breathed a word, the kitchen staff had become far more open and welcoming, even saving the choicer bits of cheeses for him, even after they all had gone home for the night.

It had been a pleasant change until the day in his day to day interactions inside his own home until the day that Nathalie had informed his that his father did not approve of him socializing with the staff.

That just made him more sneaky.

He keeps their secrets and they keep his. Not that they were really aware of anything more than his not-so-secret cheese addiction. But no one else had ever been made about the sheer volume of Camembert they kept having to restock. He definitely would have heard it from Nathalie otherwise.

Chat Noir sighed, tucking back inside his bay window. There were far more secrets being kept within the halls of this mansion than he had ever realized.

But raiding the cellars would require him to sneak back inside, and the prospect of drinking alone wasn’t exactly a happy one.

Even if it was a good idea to let him drop his guard where his father was concerned.

A mechanical chirping broke through the stillness of the dark, and he came to a halt as soon as his feet landed on relatively even ground.

As bad as this whole night had been, just the image of those blue eyes peering back at him through her red mask never failed to bring a smile to his face.

“You alright, Chaton?” Ladybug was frowning at him back from the screen. “I saw you hadn’t gone home yet.”

Chat sighed. “I figured you had already gone to bed.”

“Why would I do that?” Her brows furrowed. “I was worried...and I was pretty sure that I wasn’t the only one.”

His eyes scanned the night, searching for someplace where he could at least rest for the while to get Plagg re-charged. To buy him at least just a little more time before he’d have to face the inevitable. 

He had to go home sometime. 

His father couldn’t know that they knew.

Not until they understood what was driving his mad pursuit. Not until they were sure that they had some way to end this -- all of this -- without anyone getting hurt.

Because if his Father was responsible for a pain that couldn’t be reversed, then he really would have lost everyone in his family.

“Should I come out and meet you?” Her words broke through his reverie.

He’d looked at her, affection tempered with concern. “It’s late. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not fine, Minou.” The sad smile lingered on her lips. “I know you don’t feel safe there right now.”

He chuckled darkly. That was putting it mildly.

“Maybe…” Ladybug worried her lip, her eyes not quite meeting the screen. “Maybe it would be better for you to come here...just to crash for the night. You could always head home in the morning. Before someone might come in to wake you up?”

“Ladybug?” His eyes widened at the thought. Was she serious? Because that would mean... “Are you sure?” 

Her cheeks darkened even as her blue eyes flashed. “Adrien, you need to sleep, and I have plenty of room here, at least for this one evening.”

He blinked. “And after that?”

“I will help you find somewhere to lay low.” Ladybug murmured. “But it is already way past midnight, and I’m not sure who else might still be up.” 

His claw brushed the edge of the baton. What had he ever done to deserve an amazing partner like her? “You’re sure you don’t mind?” 

"I don't mind." Her lips quirked ruefully. “Honestly, I’m not sure how much longer I would really have been able to keep this a secret anyways.”


	3. Early Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Early Hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to EnberLight for the beta read!

It had been well past midnight when they both landed on her rooftop, yawning and at a far slower pace than normal. Marinette snuck down to the kitchen to find something to re-charge their Kwami.

He’d stayed on the roof, cat-napping in the lounger. He was tempted to detransform, but as they were trying to stay quiet, he didn’t trust Plagg to keep quiet until he was happily fed.

She had scurried about her room a bit, probably cleaning up a little. Adrien offered to help, but she’d insisted he wait upstairs. It was a bit chilly in the early spring air, but he hadn’t exactly been planned company. 

In fact, it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes later, she had come back up to the roof to talk, so they didn’t accidentally wake up her parents.

Plagg had his mouth stuffed with cheese, rushing off with Ladybug’s Kwami, Tikki, down in her room.

Marinette told him that she was going to tell her parents that his home situation was getting gross, to seek out their permission for him to come in as himself. Keeping one big secret from them was bad enough. 

They wouldn’t turn him away, although there were sure to be certain rules in place.

They hadn’t been able to plan much more before Marinette had started to yawn. He insisted they go to sleep. There would be plenty to time to talk later, to make some further arrangements to make sure he and Plagg would stay safely out of his father’s reach.

Her blue eyes drooped heavily, but she’d nodded, traipsing down the ladder back to her room with a surprising grace he’d not noticed in Marinette before, but had been all but captivated by in Ladybug. Maybe she’d found some of the powers started to bleed through, and she’d pretended the extra clumsiness to keep anyone from noticing.

(On the other hand, Ladybug had been quite a bit clumsy that first day.)

When he’d gotten down, she was rifling in a set of drawers for an extra blanket, snagging a pillow from her bed, and then cuddled herself into the chaise.

He’d blinked, confused until she’d insisted he use the bed. She was small enough to fit on the chaise comfortably.

He’d smirked, biting back the temptation for a series of puns on her smaller stature and filing it away for later. He’d offered her a hand up, telling her he would be just fine in the smaller chair. There was no reason for her to go to extra trouble on his account.

He must have imagined the blush when she’d tugged her hand away, stubbornly cuddling the overly large cat pillow to her stomach and winding herself around on the chaise to get comfortable.

He’d looked back over his shoulder, doubtful as he’d headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth with the spare toothbrush she’d grabbed on her run to the kitchen.

* * *

He was sure he hadn’t been in the bathroom long, but Marinette was already softly snoring when he’d cracked the door back open. A small lamp still stayed on, casting a thin beam of light on the way to the bed.

Adrien frowned, waving a hand experimentally in front of her face, blocking the small bit of light. Her dark lashes hadn’t even flinched, so he took the risk, sliding his arms under her experimentally before he’d lifted her up to full height.

Slight though she was, Marinette’s frame was as muscular as Ladybug’s body needed to be. For the slightest moment, he thought about transforming before he thought better of it. The flash of light would surely wake her back up.

Adrien’s jaw set. He would just need to move slowly and carefully.

The tiny red Kwami blinked owlishly at him, her bright blue eyes blinking faintly glowing in the near dark. Plagg had cuddled up beside her, snoozing and far quieter than Adrien was used to from the usually cantankerous Kwami.

As he adjusted his hold around her shoulders, Marinette had nuzzled herself into his chest, sending a rather fierce, burning blush racing up his cheeks. He hardly dared to breath as his gaze slid down to her face, watching for some sign of her waking up.

Tikki's musical giggle chimed through the air. “You won’t have to worry about that, Adrien. Once she’s fallen asleep, Marinette is usually out like a light. It’s waking her up in the morning that is usually trouble.”

Inhaling as quietly as he could manage – just to be safe -- Adrien re-adjusted his grip, moving with all the cat-like grace he could muster to settle her back onto the pillows and tug the comforter up to cover her shoulders.

“She'll be comfortable enough like that.” Tikki beamed her approval as she’d hovered in the air over his shoulder. “But you should get to sleep as well. It has been a long day, I’m sure.”

Nodding, he’d tiptoed back over to the chaise, curling himself up against the white cat pillow and burrowing himself into the quilt, his eyes growing heavy.

“Goodnight, Adrien.” The tiny, red Kwami patted his cheek.

“Goodnight.”

* * *

Whenever he had to travel, Adrien always felt a bit unsettled waking up in the morning in an unfamiliar room. Surrounded by unfamiliar sounds, a pillow that never felt quite right, he tended to wake up slowly, to take in the different sights in the early morning hours, puzzling out what city he was currently in as the pieces fell together in his mind. He only ever had a few minutes he’d had between Nathalie’s wakeup call and the inevitable 4 or 5 am drive to the shoot location.

It usually tended to be an ornate hotel suite, just as large and as unfeeling as the cavernous room he’d called home.

But this? This was different. 

If he’d still had any doubt where he was, the sheer amount of pink on the walls confirmed it.

A dazed smile perked up his lips. This was cozier, feeling far more like a home than his ever would. 

It wasn’t the most comfortable bed he’d ever slept in, but for all of that he couldn’t recall the last time he’d slept so well.

Especially not considering his rather rude awakening just a few hours earlier.

He was not safe in his own home. His ring and Plagg would not truly be safe within those walls, at least not until all of this was finally over.

He sighed, letting his head sink back into the pillow.

That was why he was here at Marinette’s. In _Ladybug’s_ House.

It must have been the muffled sound of the shuffle below had jarred him from sleep, the hushed voices of heading down the gently creaking stairs. She hadn’t told him just how early they’d be up and down to the shop, but he hadn’t thought he was such a light sleeper.

The whole of the mansion was soundproofed, which had always worked to his own benefit before, but even now he had to wonder if it was just done to suit his father’s own nefarious purposes.

Adrien sat up, his eyes adjusting rather quickly to the quiet dark. It was thanks to his alter ego and Plagg’s influence that even without his transformation, his night vision had improved marginally, just enough to see a bit in the dark.

He crept in the darkness, careful not to draw any attention in case one of her parents still lingered in the living room below. Adrien drew just close enough to her bed to glance over to the glowing digits on the clock, stifling a sigh. There was maybe a half an hour left before he needed to be back in his room, pretending he’d spent the night under his own covers.

Not that he wanted to go.

He knew wouldn’t have long to linger, but even in his wildest dreams, he hadn’t imagine he would be right here with her now.

Marinette had burrowed into the thick comforter, a heavy cloth armor to protect her against the daylight.

Her hair had started to slip down out of her pigtails for the first time that he could recall. A few sections fanned out across her pillow. 

He smiled fondly, tempted to right the mussed section or -- barring that -- loosen the rest of it so it might be more comfortable. Wincing, he wished he’d thought of that last night, when he’d tried to tuck her in.

Adrien drew his hand away, letting it drop to his side. There just wasn’t time.

They’d both agreed that he couldn’t let on that he knew. It was the safest thing for now, until they worked out a better plan. And Nathalie would be stopping to knock on his door like clockwork and start the long-detailed schedule bright and early each morning.

He sighed, slowly sinking into Marinette’s desk chair. Even Tikki was still asleep in the early dawn hours, but he didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye. 

Resolute, Adrien picked up a pen and a loose sheet of paper from the trash to pen a quick note. 

* * *

The green flash of light woke her up at an absurdly early hour, her eyes shutting more firmly to block out the harsh light.

She’d rustled under the covers, tugging the blankets a bit higher. Absently, she’d thought they were lucky that her parents were already down in the shop. They were definitely nosy enough to want to see what was causing a light in her room this early. 

It wasn’t until she’d heard the latch of her sunroof snap closed that her mind started spinning on all cylinders.

Bleerily, she sat up in bed, confused. She hadn’t been in her own bed when she fell asleep.

She hadn’t been alone either. 

As Marinette's mind slowly assembled the pieces, her cheeks darkening as realization of what must have happened sunk in.

Her eyes scanned the room, noting the fuzzy red blur rushing to her desk, before she’d pulled the covers off. The bracing draft dispelled the last vestiges of sleep from her mind .

“Your Chat Noir is quite the gentleman, Marinette. He even left a note.” Tikki dropped down onto the desk, her tiny paws pulling the paper open. “Don’t worry.”

“It’s not the note that has me worried. We know where he has to be headed. I just don’t like the thought of him being over there unprotected.” Marinette blanched, her fingers reaching up to her hair, fixing the ribbons hastily. “He’s in the lion’s den, and we don’t really have a good enough plan yet.”

“We can work on that later today.” Tikki assured. “I will even get Plagg to apply his devious mind to the matter. And after school, we can go and visit the Guardian.”

Frown still set in place, Marinette slipped her shoes onto her feet. “But that still leaves this morning. And unless he’s still transformed, I have no way to contact him.”

Tikki nodded, “Just say the words.”

* * *

Ladybug sprinted back across the rooftops, as if the devil himself snapped at her heels. The sun’s light still had yet to crest over the horizon, purple and pink painting the skies.

It was a lovely picture for sure, but there was a dull pounding in the front of her skull still protesting the lack of restful sleep. 

It wasn’t often that she was up at such a painfully early hour.

But as she landed upon the mansion across the way from tall paned windows of Adrien’s room, she knew that she would do it all again in a heartbeat if it would keep him safe. 

Still on high alert, her eyes scanned Adrien’s windows, wondering if he was still awake. It was hard enough to see at a distance and only a few of the downstairs lights glowed from around the house itself.

With a heavy sigh, she looped a circuit around the Agreste mansion. She made a mental note to ask Adrien where his father’s rooms were, so she’d know to strategically watch or avoid as the case might merit. 

When she’d landed back across the way, she had only the smallest amount of new intel. The staff in the kitchens were definitely up, and she was sure she’d spotted Adrien’s bodyguard entering the front gate. Surely that meant someone was up inside. 

Just not Adrien. 

It didn’t seem like it should have been long since he’d headed back home, but there could have been something else that had rustled her from a sound sleep with light and noise.

Pressing herself back against the rooftop, she’d lingered out of sight of the ground. If she had spotted the bodyguard, chances stood that he’d also spotted her. But unless the stoic man was also in on Hawkmoth’s nefarious plans, she probably wouldn’t be considered a threat. 

* * *

If he didn’t know, he would easily be asleep already. 

But now, that was impossible. 

Adrien practically vibrated. The normally comfortably cool air of his room chased a chill down the back of his neck, even as he’d buried himself beneath the covers. His eyes scanned his own room, watchful for any sign or shadow that seemed out of place. His pulse beat frenetically, setting loose the tide of butterflies -- the less villainous kind, he’d hoped -- to roil his stomach. 

Plagg must have sensed his growing fear and discomfort, curling up on the bed beside him instead of in the trash can that set beside his desk. Soft puffs of air tugged as his bangs, as his Kwami snoozed, one glowing green eye, lazily half parted.

The prospect of breakfast even seemed unappetizing hungry though he ought to be. He needed to be ready to go into battle at a moment’s notice. Fleetingly, he’d wondered is he might ask Marinette to bring something to him from the bakery. Before he remembered he didn’t even have her phone number.

Adrien closed his eyes, the back of his forearm resting against forehead, willing himself to stay calm.

Plagg shifted beside him, standing alert as he’d turned to the window. “Hey, kid.”

His arm fell away, half sitting up against the pile of pillows. 

The cat kwami stared out the window. 

Adrien sat up just in time to spot a flash of red swooping past. 

Adrien’s eyes widened, tossing his covers off his legs. He couldn’t call on a cell phone, not if he didn’t have her number. But that wasn’t the only way to contact his partner after all. 

“Plagg. Claws out.”

* * *

Ladybug hadn’t expected the vibration at her hip, but perhaps she should have. She tugged the yo-yo from her hip, leaning back against the cold brick of the chimney. 

“My Lady!” His grin lit up the screen, as he half bowed. Chat Noir’s hand covered his heart as the other clearly held his baton. “I had heard you wouldn’t be up before dawn.”

His blonde head popped back up, expressive green eyes filled with far less mischief and far more tension than she was used to. 

Frowning, her eyes narrowed. She had been right to come. Even if Hawkmoth didn’t make a move for days or weeks, Adrien just couldn’t live like this. But he wouldn’t be alone. She’s made sure of that.

“Well,” Ladybug’s lips curved upwards, her voice growing softer even as her resolve strengthened. Her thumb dragged along the edge of the yo-yo “I can’t stay asleep when there were some things worth waking up for.” 

Chat Noir’s lips parted, as his slitted pupils widened. The mask obscured half of his expression but for the telltale flush of his cheeks. “I’m glad you did.”

Exhaling in relief, Ladybug nodded. “You’re doing okay?”

“For now,” Chat smiled, but his eyes darted around the room. “Nathalie should be by any minute to make sure I’m awake, but she won’t come in unless I’m late. Or if I don’t answer.”

She smiled. “Well, I still have awhile before Mom expects me to be up, so for now I can stick around and _chat_.” 

“I’d like that.” His eyes slid closed for a moment, beaming as he dropped his head back against the pillow. 

She grinned, tilting her head slightly as those piercing eyes lazily slid back open. 

“In fact, I might have to go so far to say that would be _purr_ fect.” Chat mirrored the tilt of her own head, as he winked at her. 

Rolling her eyes, a fond smile lingered on her face. “Of course you would, _Chaton_.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on [Tumblr](http://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Feedback of all forms and re-blogs of the [Tumblr post](http://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/post/165862059274/ladynoir-july-day-29-early-hours) are greatly appreciated! [Note that the link is for final chapter, so please read all chapters first if you'd like to avoid spoilers.]
> 
> I know half the fandom thinks Hawkmoth isn't Gabe, but I made and assumption and ran with it for the sake of this ficlet. I could see canon going either way, but we'll have to wait and see what the writers truly have in store for us. Just roll with it for the concept. :D
> 
> Any and all feedback and is appreciate far more than mere words can properly express. You all are amazing. *hugs*


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